Other conditions decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for her residuals of a left hip stress fracture and limitation of adduction of the left hip have been denied. The current ratings are considered appropriate based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claim for service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for dental trauma residuals was denied as there is no evidence of loss of substance of the body of the maxilla or mandible during active military service, and his current symptoms are not related to in-service treatment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an intestinal disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current conditions and his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral cataracts and right eye retinopathy are being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition was denied.,The Veteran's right inguinal hernia rating from April 9, 2018 to November 16, 2021 was denied. A 10 percent rating was granted beginning November 17, 2021.

The Veteran's right elbow disability was not rated higher than the assigned ratings prior to December 17, 2018 and from December 17, 2018.,The Veteran's right elbow disability was not rated higher than the assigned ratings from May 11, 2022.

The Veteran is granted a 70 percent evaluation for an unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder prior to January 22, 2020. A 100 percent evaluation is granted from January 22, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for epididymo-orchitis and a separate rating for varicoceles were denied. The Veteran was granted a separate 10 percent rating for varicoceles, but the claim for an increased rating for epididymo-orchitis was not granted.

The Veteran's varicose veins of the right and left lower extremities are currently rated at 20 percent, effective April 17, 2013. The appeal is granted for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent prior to that date.

The Board has determined that the case requires further development due to errors in pre-decisional duty to assist, specifically regarding the Veteran's exposure to volatile organic compounds and the likely etiology of his death-causing conditions.

The appellant withdrew the appeals for DIC and Survivors Pension.

The Veteran's cause of death, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis, is presumed to be related to his military service due to exposure to burn pits during his time in Southwest Asia. As the Veteran was a covered veteran under the PACT Act, he is granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's application for Caregiver Program benefits was denied due to not meeting the eligibility requirements under the program. The Board has ordered remand as there are incomplete records, legally inadequate notifications, and a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

Your claim for payment or reimbursement for the cost of medical services provided by Visiting Angels from March 30, 2020, through April 15, 2020, has been dismissed because your appeal is moot as the treatment was approved in a previous decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his anal fissure, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's surviving spouse, the appellant, is recognized as a surviving spouse for VA benefits due to her continuous marriage to the Veteran before his death and for more than one year after. The decision grants her eligibility for VA benefits.

The Veteran's appeal for payment or reimbursement of medical services received at CMH on December 21, 2017 has been granted. The case is dismissed as no further claims are pending.

The Veteran's eligibility for PCAFC benefits is being remanded due to inadequate notice in the initial decision, and the need to apply the correct statutory criteria for 'need for supervision, protection, or instruction' as per a Federal Circuit ruling.

The appeal of the eligibility to direct payment of additional attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a May 2022 rating decision is dismissed because the appellant requested and received a withdrawal of the issue.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye condition, finding that his current conditions are congenital defects and not caused by in-service injuries or incidents.